E.A. Castillo brings enchanting charm to this captivating adventure. After a misstep, Maggie is sent to the Midwatch Institute. Pleasantly surprised and a little mesmerized by the reality of the orphanage, Maggie and her fellow first-year students embark on intriguing class schedules. The girls quickly discover that the school is engaged in solving mysteries and keeping the city safe. When a woman goes missing, the girls begin to investigate. Castillo masterfully performs various accents, including British, German, and Russian, and navigates select German phrases with ease. Each character is vividly portrayed, with distinct variations in pacing, tone, and inflection that convey their nationality, age, and gender. With an imaginative setting, a clever plot, and a stand-out performance, this audiobook is a delight and a must-listen.
(Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: May 27, 2025
Duration: 6 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217074518
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Past and present come together seamlessly.
Casey Holloway and Emily Eiden perform alternating chapters of this audiobook about two girls connected through time. In the present day, 13-year-old Penny Marks is angry and resentful about her parents’ decision to move their family to Paris for her mother’s museum job. In 1943, 13-year-old Marie Bonnet and her sister live alone in Nazi-occupied Paris. Holloway depicts the curious, determined, artistic Penny, who pursues the mystery of a painting hidden in a wall and a letter written 80 years earlier. With an accented narration, Eiden reveals Marie’s entry into the French Resistance and her commitment to hiding French art from the Germans.
Past and present come together seamlessly. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 42 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063321816
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: March 10, 2026
Contemporary Brooklyn is home to a diverse group of characters voiced by Nikki Massoud in this middle-grade mystery with a slight fantasy twist. In this second installment, amateur sleuths Roya and Amin are approached by their neighbor and fellow classmate, 12-year-old Thea, to find the treasure left in their building by her estranged grandfather. Showcasing her skills, Massoud interweaves vibrant characters and periodic Iranian words. Roya and Amin are given energetic and confident voices, while Thea's breathy voice portrays a more reserved and introverted personality. Massoud captures three generations of characters ranging from tired parents and grandparents to boisterous children.
(Mystery. 9-13)Pub Date: Nov. 11, 2025
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217157068
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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